Letter-file.



P. EBNER.

LETTER PILE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1912. 1,091,490. Patented Mar.31,1914.

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coLUMmA PLANQGRAIH en .WASmNGTnm xL c4 Vthe IINITED STATES PETER EBNER,0F COLUMBUS, OHIO.

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the types of letter tiles commonly known as the individual letter lile.

My aim is to provide a structure which may be readily assembled, as wellas comparatively simple to manufacture.

I preferably malte my letter tile of metal and construct the same to befire proof. Heretofore metal tile boxes have been so constructed thatwhen subjected to an intense heat, the joints collapse by ither meltingthe soldering .material or warping the same out of shape. To overcomethis, I provide a series of interlocking joints so constructed thatsoldering of the same is not absolutely necessary. These interlocking'joints take form of channel formations formed along the adjoining edgesof the sections of the box to be joined together. I preferably make twosides and one end of the box of one sheet of material and bend the edgesof the two side pieces back upon themselves to form a seat forcomplemental oppositely extending formations upon the top and bottompieces. The top and bottom pieces may then be slid into their correctpositions and the edges either clamped into rigid holding relation, orthe use of a small portion of solder may be resorted to. It will benoted, that in case of nre, the file box is held intact even shouldsolder be used in its construction, since the interlocking jointsprevent collapsing of the same.

I preferably provide my casing with a door or gate forming one end andpivotally mount the same upon one of the side pieces. Within the casingI provide a tray member for the reception of the letters to be filed andit is my object to so construct my letter le to prevent removal of thistray when the same is drawn out in its normal plane. In the presentcase, the formations carryingV the index leaves of the tray member,coact with a reinforcing rib carried along one edgeof the casing toprevent its removal. The lower portion of these formations are, however,so formed that by a slight tilting of the tray out of its normal plane,its removal is Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed August22, 1912,

l l I l i Patented Mar. 3i, 1914. serial No. 716,355.

permitted. These formations carried by the tray are so formed to alsopermit removal of the index leaves if it is desired.

Another object of my invention is to reinforce the open end of the bodyportion and to use one of these reinforced edges as a keeper coactingwith a spring latch carried by the gate and to pivotally mount the gateupon the other reinforced edge. I preferably do this by curling the edgeof the-open end around a wire and pivotally mount the gate by pintlesextending into the curled edge of the opposite side.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which similar characters of reference designatecorresponding parts. and in which:

Figure l is a side view of my letter tile, Fig. 2 is a bottom plan viewof the same, Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the structure shown in Fig.l, Fig. 4 is a plan view of the pre ferred form of my tray, vation ofthe same, Fig. G is an enlarged sectional view of the structure shown inF 2, Fig. T is a section taken on line 7&7 of Fig. 6, Fig. S is asectional view showing the tray in extended position. and Fig. 9 is adetail view of a portion of the letter tile showing the mounting of thegate.

In the drawings, my letter iile. is shown as comprising a body portionformed of sides l and 2 and an end 3 formed from a single sheet ofmaterial. Each of the two longitudinal edges of each side is turned backupon itself, as shown at 1i, to form channels. Top and `bottom pieces 5and 6 are also formed with channels along their longitudinal edges, butthese channels differ slightly from those formed upon the side pieces,in that they are bent outwardly7 and again inwardly, as shown at 7. Theinwardly extending portion fits in the channels formed upon the edges ofthe side pieces l and 2. Then assembling, the channels formed upon themembers 5 and G are .made to engage the channels on the pieces l and 2.The members 5 and 6 are are limited in this movement by flangeformations 8 and 9, integrally carried by the members 5 and G, byabutting the back .My casing is preferably held in assembled conditionby clamping the coacting channels into rigid holding engagement. I havefound it desirable, however, to solder a small portion of the joint, asshown at 91, which prevents vibrating of the joint by continued thenslid into position and Fig. 5 is a sidenele use, which would in timeweaken the same. The open end of the casing is reinforced by curling thefree ends of the sides back upon themselves as shown at 10 and 11. Tofurther reinforce one edge l insert the wire in the curled portion 10and support a gate 12 upon the other curled edge 11 by the insertion ofpintles 13 in the curled edge 1A of the gate after passing through thetop and bottom pieces 5 and 6. The curled edge 11 of the casing ispartially out away in a well known manner to accommodate the curled edge14: of the gate complementally cut away. The other edges of the gate 12are preferably reinforced by bending the metal back upon itself to forma single hem as best shown at 15. The numeral 16 designates a resilientcatch which coperates with the reinforcing rib 10 for holding the gatein its closed position.

Mounted within the casing is a tray 17 desirably made from a singlepiece of wire 18 bent to substantially rectangular shape and supportingwire mesh 19 which wire mesh serves as a support for the index leaves20. The forward end of the wire 1S is bent up as at 21 to form a handhold and has its free ends bent upwardly and again downwardly to formopen ended hook formations as indicated at 22. The index leaves 2O arecarried by the open ended hook formations Q2 and the removal of the sameis possible by removing the tray and completely turning the leaves overbackward,

When it is desired to use my letter file, the gate 1Q is opened and thetray 1T withdrawn outwardly by gripping the handle portion 21, the hookformations 22 coacting with the reinforcing rib 10 carried by the casingto prevent removal of the tray when drawn out in its normal plane.Upward tilting of the .tray will, however, permit of its removal sincethe free end of the hook formation 22 is not in contacting relation withthe side 2 of the casing. After the tray is completely removed in themanner indicated, the index leaves may be removed or replaced as isdesired and the tray again inserted within the casing. It will beapparent that I have shown comparatively simple means for accomplishingthe objects of my invention.

What l claim, is:

1. A letter file comprising a casing, a stop carried by said casing, aremovable tray within the casing and formations carried by said tray forremovably carrying index leaves and for ooacting with said stop topreeples of this patent may be obtained. for

tom edges of ve cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. C.

vent removal of said tray when drawn out in its normal plane andconstructed to permit removal of the tray when tilted out of its normalplane.

2. A letter file comprising a casing, a stop carried by said casing, aremovable tray within the casing, and formations carried by said trayfor removably carrying index leaves. said formations coacting with saidstop to prevent removal of said tray when drawn outward in its normalplane.

3. A letter file comprising a casing, a removable tray within saidcasing, an inwardly extending reinforcing rib on one edge of the end ofsaid casing, and formations carried by said tray for removably carryingindex leaves, said formations coacting with said rib to preventJ removalof said tray when drawn out .in its normal plane, but permitting removalof the tray when tilted out of said normal plane.

A. A letter file comprising a casing, a gate hinged to said casing, aninwardly extending rib on one edge of the open end of said casing, atray, open ended hook formations carried by said tray for coaction withsaid rib for preventing removal of the tray when drawn out in its normalplane, said open en permitting removal of the tray when tilted out ofits normal plane.

5. A letter file comprising a casing havinga body of two sides and oneend formed of a single piece of material, the top and botsaid sidepieces being doubled back to form hook channels, top and bottom piecesformed with channel formations along `heir longitudinal edges forengagement with the channels on said side pieces, and 'flange formationson said top and bottom pieces for engagement with the end of said body.Y

6. A letter file comprising a body of two sides and one back formed ofone piece of material, channel formations along the top and bottom edgesof said side pieces, a top piece, a bottom piece, complemental channelformations along the longitudinal edges of said top and bottom piecesmounted in interlocking relation with said first channels, and a gatehingedly mounted on said body.

In testimony whereof l aix my signature in presence of two witnesses,

PETER EBNER.

Witnesses:

WALTER E. L. Boex, A. L. Prmrrs.

Commissioner of Patents,

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